Coconut Oil

This was taken from Mercola.com.

HISTORY: The Japanese military occupied the Philippines and other South Pacific islands, where bloody battles were being fought. The supply of coconut oil was effectively cut off from the United States. Although coconut oil had been popular both as a cooking oil and ingredient in numerous food products, the occupation continued to interrupt the supply for several long years as the war slowly dragged on. Enter good old American ingenuity (in this case, not so good for your health).Manufacturers began to develop alternative sources of cooking oils, and the polyunsaturated oils phase was born. By the time the war was over, there was a lot of money at stake in the promotion of these polyunsaturated vegetable oils. By the end of the 1950's, public opinion had turned totally against saturated fats like butter (and coconut oil). Saturated fats were blamed for raising cholesterol, and cholesterol was now viewed as the evil enemy, the culprit responsible for the steep rise in heart disease. Butter, eggs and coconut oil were out. The new vegetable oils were in ... and erroneously viewed as "heart-healthy". Coconut oil continued to be demonized by the vegetable oil industry throughout the ensuing decades. Adding insult to injury, the soybean industry began to condemn the use of tropical oils, particularly coconut oil. And I'm sure you realize the reason why -- competition ... and millions and millions of dollars. Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry, centered in poorer nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, could not afford to counter the negative propaganda spread by rich American industrial conglomerates. Science and good health took a back seat to profits, as they have on more than one occasion ...

BULLET POINTS: Reducing your risk of heart disease and your risk of cancer and degenerative diseases...
Promoting weight loss when and if you need it...
Supporting your immune system health ...
Supporting a healthy metabolism ...
Providing an immediate energy source for you ...
Helping to keep your skin healthy and prevent age-related damage ...
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland ...
Preventing infections due to harmful bacteria, viruses, yeasts and other micro-organisms
Stable enough to resist heat induced damage while it also helps you prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol and even lose weight.

INTERESTING INFO: Coconut oil isn’t stored as fat but is burned for energy. Your metabolism speeds up with coconut oil so you will burn more calories each day, accelerating weight loss.

Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of these healthy MCFAs.
MCFAs are smaller than LCFA (long chain fatty acids). They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic problems.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs in coconut oil can actually stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
The long chain fats nearly always go to fat storage, while the MCFAs are burned for energy
Since your metabolism speeds up with coconut oil, you will burn more calories each day, accelerating weight loss (and probably your activity & energy level)
Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting the MCFAs in coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level. This is especially good news for those of you with diabetes or other blood sugar issues.
In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, stimulate the metabolism and turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs enhance physical or athletic performance.
Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. The healing process accelerates cell regeneration to replace old, worn-out or damaged cells. And your immune system functions better overall.

Incredibly, coconut oil contains the same compound—lauric acid – as mother’s milk! And lauric acid is the predominant type of MCFA found in coconut oil.
In fact a great volume of research has been done esetablishing the ability of lauric acid to fight dangerous micro-organisms – things you don’t want to deal with -- like viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites and molds

HOW TO USE: Whenever you fry, stir-fry or sauté veggies, eggs, poultry, fish or whatever, use coconut oil for a healthy light flavor ... Toss some coconut oil into your smoothies or juiced drinks for a burst of lauric acid ... Make your own mayonnaise with coconut oil ... Use it on your salads for a tropical flair

Coconut oil is ideal for skin care. It prevents the formation of destructive free radicals, and can prevent your skin from developing skin blemishes caused by aging and overexposure to sunlight.